The Power of One is an intriguing story of a young English boy named P.K. and his passion for changing the world. Growing up he suffered as the only English boy in an Afrikaans school. Soon orphaned, he was placed in the c... more &raquoare of a German national named Professor von Vollensteen (a.k.a. "Doc"), a friend of his grandfather. Doc develops P.K.'s piano talent and P.K. becomes "assistant gardener" in Doc's cactus garden. It is not long after WWII begins that Doc is placed in prison for failure to register with the English government as a foreigner. P.K. makes frequent visits and meets Geel Piet, an inmate, who teaches him to box. Geel Piet spreads the myth of the Rainmaker, the one who brings peace to all of the tribes. P.K. is cast in the light of this myth. After the war P.K. attends an English private school where he continues to box. He meets a young girl, Maria, with whom he falls in love. Her father, Professor Daniel Marais, is a leader of the Nationalist Party of South Africa. The two fight to teach the natives English as P.K.'s popularity grows via the myth. Maria is killed. P.K. looses focus until he sees the success of his language school among the tribes. He and Guideon Duma continue the work in hopes of building a better future for Africa.&laquo less

Member Movie Reviews

fantastic story of good triumphing over evil..not recommended for young ones as the scenes of violence are rather graphic.

0 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Jerry S. from OCEANSIDE, CA Reviewed on 12/10/2009...

Very Moving. Makes you think

Movie Reviews

Rough but effective

Crista S. Forest | 01/18/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Very good movie but a little tough to take at times. Not a movie for the faint of heart. Definitely got the point across."

One of the most inspirational, influential movies I've ever

Jason | Backwater, Alabama | 05/12/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Framed within an Apartheid prism, "The Power of One" displays a triumphant human spirit through boxing, segregation, amazing African scenery, one of the most powerful soundtracks ever created, and a heroic young man's perilous journey of discovery.

Early 1940s, Tiny P.K. (Guy Witcher, Simon Fenton, Stephen Dorff) - short for Peter Phillip Kenneth Keith - is a British lad in South Africa who lands in an Afrikaans boarding school after his parents fall ill. Given the era and immigration pattern, the school is attended heavily by Nazi regime supporting German children who are disdainful of P.K. and eager to unleash torture - particularly from the oldest student - which would likely destroy the average child's psyche.

Luckily P.K. is resilient, and supported by a series of mentors who help mold him into a young man of strong will, courage, intelligence and strength necessary to battle the evils of Apartheid. Initially he is sent to live with his uncle's friend Doc (Armin Mueller-Stahl), a famous German pianist who opens P.K.'s eyes to the world, exposing him to the wonders of nature and molding his reasoning skills. Through unfortunate circumstances, Doc is incarcerated but he's treated more like a respected guest. As a result, P.K. not only gets freedom of movement, but also to learn from another wise man, Geel Piet (Morgan Freeman). Under Piet's tutelage, P.K. grows into a boxing champion who, as the result of myths and his grasp of various African languages, holds significance to the future of united South African tribes.

I have not read the book, so the best that I can say is that the tragedies displayed, the outcomes and lessons learned, are monumentally profound and impeccably filmed. Each difficulty faced and overcome brings a viewer closer to not only the protagonist, but also his plight. I clenched my fists in support when P.K. boxed; I hummed in unison when the chants of thousands propelled him on.

Obviously, the acting in this film is superb. Each version of P.K. is perfect for eliciting the appropriate emotion (e.g. sympathy for the youngest, strength the eldest). Freeman and Mueller-Stahl are wonderful as always, and probably could serve as wise advisors in real life. A few other characters provide spunk and life to various aspects of the story, but the surprise of the film is a young Daniel Craig as the brutal Sgt. Botha, a man with a grudge against P.K.

I'd be remiss if the soundtrack wasn't mentioned. Quite possibly the most powerful soundtrack ever recorded, each note evokes emotion the likes of which I've never experienced so consistently within a movie. Even without the film, the African hymns, chants, and orchestral pieces would be considered inspirational. Legendary Hanz Zimmer should be applauded.

A hero's journey, The Power of One is about the ability of internal strength to influence others towards a common goal, creating a unified "Power of One." Directory John Avildsen has made yet another amazing movie, and given his track record (Rocky, The Karate Kid, Lean on Me), I'd say he knows how to tug the heart strings."